Cartridge belt filling machine



Jan. 23, 1945. J WOODBERRY 2,368,076

CARTRIDGE BELT FILLING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1941 Bil/OW FiH 4c I JohnWuudberry MOT/MW Patented Jan. 23, 1945 CARTRIDGE BELT FILLING MACHINEJohn- H.-Woodb erry, United States Army, Metuchen', N. J. a

' Application November 13, 19 11, Serial No. 418,991

'(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757

'9 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon;

This invention relates to a machine for loading cartridge belts, and inparticular to an element which facilitates opening-a belt for insertionof a cartridge. The novel element in its preferred form comprises apivoted member with an oscillating or shuttle action actuated by thenormal motions of belt and cartridge respectively in theloadingoperation.

In the known types of belt loaders, as shown for instance in U. S.Patent No. 660,244, a pair of needles is employed to initi'atetheseparation of the sides of a cartridge belt preparatory to insertion ofthe cartridge. Considerable difiiculty hasbeen experienced with theoperation of needles. They break and get out of adjustment. As a result,the present machines operate very unsatisfactorily. Considerable time islost by operators, and skilled mechanics have to supervise theoperations in order to keep the needles properly adjusted.

It is therefore an object of the invention to produce a belt opener fora loading machine which shall be sturdy of construction as well aspositive in action and which will obviate the use of needles for beltopening purposes.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferredembodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a conventional belt loading machine withthe novel belt opener or shuttle in place.

Figure 2 is a view in perspectiveof the shuttle.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the shuttle, and

Figure 4 is a front View of the shuttle.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, there is shown inFigure '1 a belt-loading machine of known construction having a bedplate I, and a swinging arm 2' carrying a star wheel 3 with troughs 4 toback up the cartridge pockets 5 in the belt. A magazine 6 holds thecartridges 1 and a pusher member I advances the cartridges into the beltwhen the' handle 9 is turned. -Another star wheel similar to 3 islocated beneath the belt to cooperate with wheel at H betweenthe'bed'plate I and jutting arm l2 fixed to the bed plate; In the formshown by way of example the shuttle has two disk faces l3 and Itseparated by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the beltto be loaded when the latter is empty and collapsed. The faces I3, itare joined only by a small bridge of material 8 surrounding the pivothole l5 and by the finger or blade I6. The latter has a forward edge l7generally axe-like in shape, a broadening rounded inner edge L8 anda-flat outer edge I9 0n the general line of the periphery of the disks.A rounded channel 20 is formed in the outer edge if! and at the forwardedge of this channel is a somewhatdeeper indentation 2|. The

edge ll is shown as midway between the faces l3, it but may have otherintermediate posi-' The functions of the various features of struc- Iture embodied in the shuttle-are best described by following a cycle ofoperations in the beltloading machine. Figure 1 shows the position ofthe various units with a particular cartridge 21 in position for itsfirst advance toward the belt pocket 5 under the urging of the pushermember 1 As the cartridge advances, the indentation 21 receives thebullet point .and gives it a final guarantee of alignment in. thedirection of the belt pocket 5. The shuttle, which issimply sus-- pendedat H for free oscillation, is .urged in a counterclockwise .sense- .bythe advancing cartridge 21. The axe-like edge I! which enters betweenthe collapsedxsides .of the belt pocket 5 accurately because .of thefixed relation the edge l1! bears to the disks I3, 14 guiding the belt,commences the opening of the pocket and" guides the bullet point within.Continued rotation of the shuttle thereafter removes the indentation 2from the path ofthe advancing'bulletpoint, the side of the bullet beingat this stage accommodated in rounded channel '20. As is well known inmachines of this type, the cartridge is advanced into-the belt in twostages-only the marrow, forward portion beinginserted in the first i6and the cartridge can be accomodated at this stage.

When pusher member I has advanced to the limit of its motion, the lowerstar Wheel (not shown) advances the belt and the pocket 5 car ries withit the finger IS in a clockwise direction and ejects it. The finger l6then comes to rest when the indentation 2| contacts the succeedingcartridge which is already in position for the stroke of the pusher.

The stop 26 has no function during the loading process, but is merelyprovided to guarantee that the shuttle finger IE will not accidentallyprogress so far in a counterclockwise direction when no belt is in themachine that its edge I? will not be engaged by an incoming belt forpositioning under the cartridge tip. As a practical matter, no stop isnecessary for restraining the shuttle in its clockwise motion, thisfunction being performed by the awaiting cartridge, there being, in

general, no break in the continuity of the sup-ply of cartridges fromthe magazine. However, an additional stop for the shuttle slightlybeyond the position of its engagement with the bullet point may beprovided.

The recesses 22 and 23 are provided to furnish clearance for the edge ofth cartridge belt as the finger I6 is inserted into the pocket 5.

I claim:

1. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of atwo-ply belt said machine having a cartridge loading station, meansintermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioningsaid pockets to receive a cartridge, means delivering cartridges to saidsta- ,1

tion and means for advancing and inserting cartridges singly into saidpockets, the combination of a belt opening device comprising a pocketopening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of said belt forrotation into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receiving position,means on said finger for engagement with a cartridge being advanced bysaid advancing means to rotate said finger in pocket opening directionand a second means on said finger for engagement with;

said belt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger inthe opposite direction.

2. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of atwo-ply belt, said machine having a cartridge loading station, meansintermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioningsaid pockets to receive a cartridge, means delivering cartridges to saidstation and means for advancing and inserting cartridges singly intosaid pockets,- the combination of a belt opening device comprising apocket opening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of saidbelt for rotation in the plane of said belt into and out of a beltpocket in cartridge receiving position, and means on said finger forengagement with a cartridge being advanced by said advancing means torotate said finger in pocket opening direction and a second means onsaid finger for engagement with said belt being fed by said belt feedingmeans to rotate said finger in the opposite direction.

3. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of atwo-ply belt, said machine having a cartridge loading station, meansintermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioningsaid pocket to receive a cartridge, means delivering cartridges to saidstation and means for advancing and inserting cartridges singly intosaid pockets, the combination of a belt' opening device comprising apocket opening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of 'saidbelt for rotation into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receivingposition, said finger having a generally arcuate body portionterminating in an axe-like pocket entering edge, said body broadening inthe direction of said entering edge, means on said finger for engagementwith a cartridge being advanced by said advancing means to rotate saidfinger in pocket opening direction and a second means on said finger forengagement with said belt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotatesaid finger in the opposite direction.

4. .In a machine as defined in claim 3, the combination of a beltopening device as defined in claim 3 in which said means "on said pocketopening finger for engagement with a cartridge being advanced comprisesa rounded channel on the face of said finger adjacent the cartridgesbeing advanced.

deeper indentation at the end of said channel ad- .l'acent said pocketentering edge.

6. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of atwo-ply belt, said machine having a cartridge loading station, meansintermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioningsaid pockets to receive a cartridge, means delivering cartridges to saidstation and means for advancingand inserting cartridges singly into saidpockets, the combination of a belt opening device comprising a pocketopening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of said belt forrotation into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receiving position,a pair of spaced plate members guidingly embracing said belt and carriedby said finger, means on said finger for enagement with a cartridgebeing advanced by said advancing means to rotate said finger in pocketopening direction and a second means on said finger for engagement withsaid belt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger inthe opposite direction.

In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced pockets of a two-plybelt, said machine having acartridge loading station, meansintermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioningsaid pockets to receivea cartridge, means delivering cartridges to saidstation and means for advancing and inserting cartridges singly intosaid pockets, the combination of a belt opening device comprising apocket opening finger pivoted on the cartridge receiving side of saidbelt for rotation into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receivingposition, a pair of spaced plate members guidingly embracing said belt,means on said finger for engagement with a cartridge being advanced bysaid advancing means to rotate said finger in pocket opening directionand a second means on said finger for engagement With said belt beingfed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger in the oppositedirection.

8. In a machine for loading cartridges in the spaced Pockets of atwo-ply belt, said machine having a cartridge loading station, meansintermittently feeding said belt past said station serially positioningsaid pockets to receivea cartridge, means delivering cartridges to saidstatridges singly into said pockets, the combination.

of a belt opening device comprising a pocket opening finger pivoted onthe cartridge receiving side of said belt for rotation in the plane ofsaid belt into and out of a belt pocket in cartridge receiving position,and means on said finger for engagement with a cartridge being advancedby said advancing means to rotate said finger in pocket openingdirection, a second means on said finger 10 for engagement with saidbelt being fed by said belt feeding means to rotate said finger in theopposite direction, a stop member carried by said finger and meanscarried by said machine engageable with said stop member to prevent saidfinger from returning in said opposite direction beyond the line ofadvancement of said cartridges.

9. In a machine as defined in claim 6, a combi nation of a belt openingdevice as defined in claim a 6 in which one of said plate members isprovided with a stop member and means carried by said machine engageablewith said stop member to prevent said finger from returning in'saidopposite direction beyond the line of advancement of said cartridges.-

J'OI-IN H. WOODBERRY.

